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MANES – How the World Came to an End

Candlelight Records is one of the last places you’d look for a non-metal album so MANES‘ new album came as quite a shock. Norway’s MANES have created an instant underground post-metal classic. This unique band can loosely be described as an electronic-based post-metal/rock band with live instruments, various vocal styles, and trip-hop, hip hop, and indie/alternative rock influences. Some points of musical reference could include ULVER, RADIOHEAD, PORTISHEAD, and that trademark Norwegian sense of creating strong atmospheres. There’s an underlying melancholic, dark, and sometimes maddening feel that is really powerful and pervasive throughout How the World Came to an End. The album is the sum work of 16 people and it definitely shows. There are plenty of layers and diversity within, not only each song but, the album as a whole, which provide plenty of ear candy and sensory stimulation. The tone perfectly shifts from the bombastic (i.e. “Deeprooted” and “Come to Pass“) to the quiet and somber (i.e. “Watch You Fall” and “Last Lights“) to somewhere in between (i.e “The Cure-All“). Other tracks such as “Nobody Wants the Truth” are guitar-based and have less of an electronic sound. The emotional “Son of the Brother of Sleep” concludes the whole affair with spoken words of suicidal thoughts. Emphasis on the song’s tone is amplified with its intentionally quiet fade out. How the World Came to an End is the type of album that can transcend and translate to a wide range of music fans while still retaining its intended meaning. MANES have easily put themselves up there with the highly acclaimed and revered, ULVER. The flawless execution, diversity, and compelling atmospheres of How the World Came to an End make this one of the best albums of 2007. (Candlelight Records)